PORTLAND, ME, January 23, 2019 – This is a MEMIC ICE ALERT requesting all employers and property owners from Maine to Western New York State to heavily sand and salt all sidewalks, pathways, stairs and parking lots – locations most often cited in slip-and-fall injuries. Everyone is urged to use extra caution while driving and walking and to wear appropriate footwear and traction enhancers.

Rain and rapid snowmelt anticipated for Thursday, January 24th, will be followed by freezing across the region, creating dangerous, icy conditions for slip and fall injuries.

MEMIC, a leading workers’ compensation specialty insurer, saw a significant increase in slip and fall injuries during similar weather conditions during the first week of January – injuries that could have been prevented with sand, salt and caution. 

MEMIC sees more than 5,500 fall claims in a year, costing untold hardship and more than $38 million in medical and wage replacement costs. Slips and falls are among the most common workplace injuries. Here are just a few examples of the devastating injuries: 

   • Last year, a truck driver slipped on ice and fell, resulting in a hip fracture that kept him out of work and cost more than $125,000 in medical and rehabilitation costs. 
   • A maintenance worker struck his head when he fell on ice. Due to continued vision impairment and dizziness he currently is unable to work. This accident will cost more than $250,000.
   • An employee was rendered a paraplegic as a result of a spinal cord injury from a slip and fall in a parking lot. The medical and wage replacement costs were nearly $1.5 million.

Safety tips on preventing slip and fall injuries are available on our Safety Net Blog.

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About MEMIC 
The MEMIC Group includes MEMIC Indemnity Company, MEMIC Casualty Company, and parent company Maine Employers’ Mutual Insurance Company; all rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best. As a super-regional workers’ compensation specialty insurer, The MEMIC Group holds licenses to write workers’ compensation across the country. The group insures more than 20,000 employers and their estimated 300,000 employees, and holds more than $1.3 billion in assets. The group maintains offices in Manchester, NH; Glastonbury, CT; Albany, NY; Weehawken, NJ; West Conshohocken, PA; Tysons Corner, VA; and Tampa, FL; in addition to its headquarters in Portland, ME.